Airfares

The government on Saturday capped the airfares in the range of Rs 7,500 to Rs 18,000 depending on the distance amid soaring air ticket prices due to the IndiGo flight disruptions. The fare limits, excluding applicable charges, are not applicable for business class and UDAN flights, the civil aviation ministry said in an order. However, the order did not provide clarity on whether the caps are applicable for economy class tickets or both economy and premium economy class tickets. Under the limits, for a flight flying up to 500 kilometres, the fares are capped at Rs 7,500 and for 500-1,000 kilometres, the ticket price cap is Rs 12,000. For flights operating 1,000-1,500 kilometres, the fares are limited at Rs 15,000 and for above, 1,500 kilometres, the cap is Rs 18,000. The cap means that for a Delhi-Mumbai flight, which is covered in a distance of over 1,300 kilometres, the fare for at least the economy class is capped at Rs 18,000. The limits will be in place till the situation ..

Hotels report near-full bookings and airfares rise sharply ahead of the Independence Day long weekend, with strong demand across leisure and drive-in destinations

A parliamentary panel has asked the DGCA to carry out a comprehensive safety audit of all domestic airlines' fleets and address concerns over surge pricing and uniformity in airport user charges

Hotel, flight rates climb over increased demand, geopolitical disruptions

Airlines responded by waiving cancellation and rescheduling fees and boosting flight capacity from Srinagar

Devotees at Maha Kumbh overcharged as airfares, hotels, and local transport prices skyrocket by up to 300 per cent, raising concerns over price exploitation

The rising fares have bolstered the outlook for carriers on both sides of the Atlantic. Major US airlines including Delta , Alaska and United have forecast bumper profits this year

Amid persisting concerns over exorbitant airfares for Prayagraj flights, the civil aviation ministry on Wednesday asked airlines to maintain reasonable prices, and sources said the country's largest carrier IndiGo has reduced the fares to Prayagraj in the range of 30-50 per cent. The development also comes on a day when Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said airfares for Prayagraj flights are "exorbitantly high" and urged aviation watchdog DGCA to take steps to reduce the prices. In the wake of the Kumbh Mela and resultant travel demand, airfares have surged for flights to Prayagraj and the civil aviation ministry had asked airlines to rationalise the ticket prices. On Wednesday, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, along with Secretary V Vualnam, DGCA Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, and senior officials met airline representatives regarding Prayagraj flights. They reviewed the "adequacy of air connectivity to Prayagraj from across the country while maintaining ...

Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has written to aviation regulator DGCA seeking reduction in "exorbitant" airfares to Prayagraj, which is hosting the Maha Kumbh Mela till February 26. The minister expressed concerns over high airfares, making it difficult for devotees to travel to the religious gathering. "The prices of airfares being exorbitantly high has made it difficult for people to make travel plans to attend Maha Kumbh," Joshi said in a social media post. Earlier this month, travel portal ixigo said bookings as well as airfares for flights to Prayagraj have jumped multi-fold as more people travel for the Maha Kumbh, with the air ticket prices rising up to 21 per cent for the Delhi-Prayagraj flights. The civil aviation ministry on Monday said steps are being taken to rationalise airfares. DGCA officials held a meeting with airline representatives last week, urging them to add more flights and rationalise ticket prices. Currently, 132 flights are operating with about .

Concerns over "skyrocketing" airfare and "little action" by government agencies and regulator dominated the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting on Wednesday as several MPs sought accountability from private airport operators and airlines to provide relief to passengers. PAC Chairperson K C Venugopal described the meeting of the panel, which has witnessed fiery and at times acrimonious discussion along party lines in the past, as "one of the best" sittings. Members, he said, expressed concerns that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) "is not acting properly as a regulator". "We need clear cut answers," he told PTI after the meeting. He said the regulatory body could not answer adequately the questions raised by members. The senior Congress MP said, "Concerns were raised by members that airfare is skyrocketing, and there is no action from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) or the Civil Aviation Department." Sources said some MPs called f

The fares were considered for tickets booked 30 days in advance. Goa remains one of India's most popular destinations for Christmas and New Year celebrations

Despite soaring passenger numbers, Indian airlines can't raise fares due to fierce competition, rising costs, and price sensitivity, leaving them struggling to stay profitable

The airfare study conducted by Airports Council International (ACI), which represents 617 airports in this region, was done in partnership with Flare Aviation Consulting

Travel associations observed that demand for flights on metro routes has eased this year compared to the previous surge, which largely met the pent-up post-pandemic travel appetite

Airport charges are an important element of the commercial aviation ecosystem for infrastructure development and increase in airfares is not linked to a rise in the charges, according to the Airports Council International (ACI). Against the backdrop of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) flagging concerns over a steep rise in airport charges, ACI also said that the charges will remain a critical source of revenue for airports. "Airport charges are an important element of the commercial aviation ecosystem for infrastructure development. Failing to address the capital expenditure requirements to accommodate the projected growth could have serious socio-economic consequences," Stefano Baronci, Director General, ACI Asia Pacific & Middle East, said. In a statement to PTI, he noted that airports are highly infrastructure-intensive businesses, with their cost structures dominated by significant fixed costs for the operation and upkeep of essential infrastructure such

Competition present on only 31% of domestic routes in April 2024, data show

Goa has witnessed a 166 per cent spike in bookings

Limited capacity growth, high demand pushing up ticket prices

Passengers around the world are winning some respite from the fare madness that followed the pandemic - and further price declines are coming

We have lots of room for airfares to grow while still being extremely affordable for the Indian consumer, he noted